Population and Census

Until the 1930 – 1950s expansion of housing Tollerton was a small rural village. In the 19th century the population fluctuated around 150 persons. By 1911 there were 168 residents here.

Early Census records give very limited information about residents. In 1841 Census field teams took this census rather than the overseers of the poor and other leading members of the parish. People completed the forms themselves which was a real challenge for some since at this stage many people could not read or write. It is no surprise therefore to find errors in these early records. House numbers were rarely given in early census years and in rural areas, such as Tollerton, only the name of the village was given. Most houses in Tollerton, if not all, were known by a name – there were no house numbers as there are today.

By 1911 the Census provided information about the resident’s name, their relationship to the head of the household, age, gender, occupation, marital status, length of current marriage, number of children born of that marriage, birth country/county and parish, whether they suffered from certain medical disabilities and the full address where they resided.

is a list of individuals and families living in Tollerton at that time compiled from that Census.

Those persons highlighted in blue were born in Tollerton; those highlighted in yellow were residing at Tollerton Hall or were a visitor at the Hall at that time. When looking at family groups, particularly the birth of children, we get some idea when the family might have moved to Tollerton. For example the Hill family must have moved to Tollerton sometime between 1908 and 1911.

Here are just a few observations on the 1911 Census data for Tollerton:

23% of the population in the village on 2 April, 1911 were born in Tollerton.

A considerable number of village people in employment worked on one of the Tollerton Estate farms.

The oldest Tollerton born person still living in the village in 1911 was Emma Hickling (a widow).

There appears to have been a significant number of children born in Tollerton in 1911; by 2 April that year there had already been 10 births.